Nightmares
by Accio-Underwear
Summary: ONESHOT It was a nightly ritual that confounded all of the doctors, frightened all of the children, worried all of the mothers and troubled all the fathers. This was something that had never happened before.


_Disclaimer – I don't own The Nightmare Before Christmas. I only devote my life to it._

* * *

He woke up screaming.

Again.

It was a nightly ritual that confounded all of the doctors, frightened all of the children, worried all of the mothers and troubled all the fathers. This was something that had never happened before; he used to be a perfectly normal little elf until one night he woke up with a gasp.

He had claimed a giant skeleton was singing in his ear.

This was the first nightmare in Christmas Town.

Everyone else slept soundly.

Everyone but him.

Each night, at precisely 1:02, he'd wake up screaming. Eventually he was committed into a make shift asylum where there was only one patient. He'd been living in his own little room, strapped to the table each night, for twelve years. He was seventeen now and should have been making toys like everyone else, but no, he had to have the dreams of the Skeleton Man.

These dreams, over time, altered his thoughts. He wondered what would happen if other elves had them. Then if children around the world had them. Had the Skeleton Man enjoyed what he had done? Was scaring fun?

Ideas of how to scare soon crept into his mind as he stared at the forming spiderwebs of his little room.

He could still feel that cold bone and hear that light voice next to his ear.

He knew it wasn't a nightmare. It _had_ to be real.

The doctor's didn't know what to do, and worried murmurs were always being heard from outside his door. He never paid mind to it. They didn't know the truth, or they were too afraid to accept it.

The truth made him a freak. And outcast of society. His family no longer visited him. He hadn't seen his sister since his thirteenth birthday. His parents stopped coming a year after that.

Everyone had given up on him.

Or so he thought.

The night of his eighteenth birthday, he was alerted when he heard a series of soft gasps through the door. Then the all too familiar voice of Santa Claus himself rang out. He was the only one who visited on this day.

"Don't be alarmed," Santa assured the doctors, "Mr. Skellington is simply here to take the boy under his care. He's been trapped in that room for much too long but Jack here was unable to take him until he was an adult. The boy still has parents."

Another voice rang out. A voice that was vaguely familiar.

It was _his_ voice. The Skeleton Man's voice.

"I certainly would've liked to take the boy sooner, Santa. But as you said, his parents simply wouldn't let him go." The voice was slightly amused and the doorknob began to jiggle slightly.

He stared intently at the door, pulling his knees to his chest and watching unblinkingly as light from the hall spilled into the room. Santa stepped in. And then the Skeleton man. The young elf was to his feet, pointing at the strange being and yelling.

"You! You ruined my life!" He choked out a sob.

Santa and the Skeleton Man exchanged looks before Santa edged closer and put a tiny assuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "Now, now, young lad, Mr. Skellington knows of what he's accidently done and is eager to take responsibility for it."

The boy continued glaring at Jack.

"Yes," Jack nodded, "You'd be under my care, living with me and my wife, Sally. And our children. You'd learn about Halloween and be able to walk the streets of Halloween Town and make friends!"

He frowned. "Halloween Town? Halloween?"

Santa squeezed his shoulder, "Its strange, completely unlike Christmas Town."

"Every year, we bring joy through fear. It's quite thrilling and all in good fun." Jack encouraged.

The boy straightened up. A place where he could try this scaring thing and it was for _fun_? It was a frightening idea in itself. And yet a slight longing told him to do it. "What if I don't like it there?" He asked curiously.

Jack beamed. "Then you can come back! There's no forcing you."

He might fit in. He might have friends. And a foster family of sorts. He could experience everything he'd missed out on.

He could have an actual home. And maybe get rid of these nightmares. Mr. Skellington suddenly didn't seem as frightening.

"I'd like to give it a try then."

The End.

* * *

_I always wondered what happened to that little elf kid during 'What's This?'. I always assumed there was no such thing as nightmares in Christmas Town._


End file.
